RoboCop (franchise)
Encyclopedia
The RoboCop
franchise, began in 1987 with the film RoboCop
. RoboCop 2
, followed in 1990 and RoboCop 3
in 1993. There have also been various television series, video game and comic book
adaptations. The franchise has made over $109,715,854 USD worldwide.
reported that the RoboCop remake had been halted.
In March 2008, however, RoboCop was mentioned in an MGM press release regarding franchises it would be focusing on in the future. An MGM poster displayed at the Licensing International Expo of June 2008 read, "RoboCop coming 2010." The studio met with Darren Aronofsky
to discuss the possibility of his directing the film. At the San Diego Comic-Con 2008, Aronofsky was confirmed to direct the "2010 RoboCop" film, with David Self
writing the script. However, the release date was postponed to 2011.
On July 23, 2009, at the San Diego Comic-Con 2009 MGM was clearly present at the convention but when questions were asked about the RoboCop 2010 film, MGM representatives confirmed that there would be no promotion or information concerning the film at the convention that year except the confirmation that the movie would be pushed back to a summer 2010 or a later date, due to conflicting projects with the director (Darren Aronofsky
). When asked if Aronofsky was still being considered or had been signed to direct the film, MGM representatives said they could neither confirm nor deny if Mr. Aronofsky was still connected with the project at that time.
On January 5, 2010 the film and entertainment website Moviehole reported that the Robocop 2011 remake was indeed on hold and Darren Aronofsky
was still attached to direct. However, once MGM executives, particularly Mary Parent the chairperson of MGM, saw the immense success of the James Cameron
film Avatar it was clear to the higher-ups that they wanted a 3D film for the new Robocop. Due to the current financial state of MGM, without an owner, and the disagreements between the studio and Aronofsky, the film was still left on hold until those issues get resolved.
On February 18, 2011, MGM announced that they still had plans for the RoboCop remake. On March 02, 2011, it was announced that Brazilian director José Padilha
was attached to direct, instead of Darren Aronofsky, mainly because of his commercial success with The Elite Squad and The Elite Squad 2
.
On March 11, 2011, Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club
stated that up-and-coming screenwriter Joshua Zetumer would create the script. Although Zetumer has been involved with a number of canceled or otherwise stagnant projects, he also worked writing for the blockbuster Quantum Of Solace.
On April 12, 2011, screenrant.com reported on rumors that MGM was looking at A-List stars such as Tom Cruise
, Johnny Depp
and Keanu Reeves
to star in the lead role of Alex Murphy/Robocop in the upcoming remake.
On June 16, 2011, entertainment website Comingsoon.net released pictures of promotional art and a sales sheet from the Licensing International Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, NV promoting a future release of Robocop which would re-invent the franchise. The promotional material had sparse details of the film but clearly stated that MGM is targeting a 2013 release and Jose Padilha
of Elite Squad and Bus 174
fame is confirmed as director of the film.
of Japan created a series similar to, and based on, RoboCop, called Kidou Keiji Jiban
(Mobile Detective Jiban), part of the Metal Hero TV series franchise. They did the same in 1993 with Tokusou Robo Janperson
(Special Investigator Robot Janperson). The former's similarity was in concept (a police officer revived as a cyborg, but specifically to fight a mutant criminal element); the latter's was in appearance (Janperson's head design greatly resembled RoboCop's, yet was otherwise closer to 1973's Robotto Keiji
(Robot Detective)).
In 1990, Data East
released a pinball machine based on the film.
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
franchise, began in 1987 with the film RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
. RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
, followed in 1990 and RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 is a science fiction action film, released in 1993, set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings seen in the film were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy Allen as...
in 1993. There have also been various television series, video game and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
adaptations. The franchise has made over $109,715,854 USD worldwide.
Future
Sony Pictures (Screen Gems division) was working on a new RoboCop film in late 2005. No details were revealed other than the unofficial (and confirmed) announcement. In November 2006, Bloody DisgustingBloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
reported that the RoboCop remake had been halted.
In March 2008, however, RoboCop was mentioned in an MGM press release regarding franchises it would be focusing on in the future. An MGM poster displayed at the Licensing International Expo of June 2008 read, "RoboCop coming 2010." The studio met with Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
to discuss the possibility of his directing the film. At the San Diego Comic-Con 2008, Aronofsky was confirmed to direct the "2010 RoboCop" film, with David Self
David Self
-Current projects:David Self is writing two separate screenplays for films based on superheroes Deathlok and Captain America. The screenwriter also wrote an early draft based on another superhero, Namor...
writing the script. However, the release date was postponed to 2011.
On July 23, 2009, at the San Diego Comic-Con 2009 MGM was clearly present at the convention but when questions were asked about the RoboCop 2010 film, MGM representatives confirmed that there would be no promotion or information concerning the film at the convention that year except the confirmation that the movie would be pushed back to a summer 2010 or a later date, due to conflicting projects with the director (Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
). When asked if Aronofsky was still being considered or had been signed to direct the film, MGM representatives said they could neither confirm nor deny if Mr. Aronofsky was still connected with the project at that time.
On January 5, 2010 the film and entertainment website Moviehole reported that the Robocop 2011 remake was indeed on hold and Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
was still attached to direct. However, once MGM executives, particularly Mary Parent the chairperson of MGM, saw the immense success of the James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
film Avatar it was clear to the higher-ups that they wanted a 3D film for the new Robocop. Due to the current financial state of MGM, without an owner, and the disagreements between the studio and Aronofsky, the film was still left on hold until those issues get resolved.
On February 18, 2011, MGM announced that they still had plans for the RoboCop remake. On March 02, 2011, it was announced that Brazilian director José Padilha
José Padilha
José Padilha is an award-winning Brazilian film director and producer.Padilha emerged onto the Brazilian movie scene with his first feature film Bus 174. In 2007, Padilha directed The Elite Squad , his first fictional film. The film was a commercial and critical success, seen by more than 11...
was attached to direct, instead of Darren Aronofsky, mainly because of his commercial success with The Elite Squad and The Elite Squad 2
The Elite Squad 2
Elite Squad 2 is a 2010 Brazilian film directed and produced by José Padilha, starring Wagner Moura. It is a sequel of the 2007 film The Elite Squad...
.
On March 11, 2011, Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
stated that up-and-coming screenwriter Joshua Zetumer would create the script. Although Zetumer has been involved with a number of canceled or otherwise stagnant projects, he also worked writing for the blockbuster Quantum Of Solace.
On April 12, 2011, screenrant.com reported on rumors that MGM was looking at A-List stars such as Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
and Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
to star in the lead role of Alex Murphy/Robocop in the upcoming remake.
On June 16, 2011, entertainment website Comingsoon.net released pictures of promotional art and a sales sheet from the Licensing International Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, NV promoting a future release of Robocop which would re-invent the franchise. The promotional material had sparse details of the film but clearly stated that MGM is targeting a 2013 release and Jose Padilha
José Padilha
José Padilha is an award-winning Brazilian film director and producer.Padilha emerged onto the Brazilian movie scene with his first feature film Bus 174. In 2007, Padilha directed The Elite Squad , his first fictional film. The film was a commercial and critical success, seen by more than 11...
of Elite Squad and Bus 174
Bus 174
Bus 174 is a Brazilian documentary film released on October 22, 2002. It is the debut film of director José Padilha and co-director Felipe Lacerda. Sandro do Nascimento, a young man from a poor background, bungled a robbery and ended up holding the passengers on a bus hostage for four hours. The...
fame is confirmed as director of the film.
Live action
- RoboCop: The SeriesRoboCop: The SeriesRoboCop: The Series is a 1994 television series based on the film of the same name. It stars Richard Eden as the title character. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers, it lacks the graphic violence that was the hallmark of RoboCop and RoboCop 2...
(1994) which starred Richard EdenRichard Eden (actor)Richard Eden is an actor, best known as Alex Murphy/RoboCop in the television series RoboCop: The Series.-External links:...
, Yvette Nipar, and Andrea RothAndrea RothAndrea Roth is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on the FX television series Rescue Me , as Janet Gavin, the wife of main character Tommy Gavin.-Biography:...
. - RoboCop: Prime DirectivesRoboCop: Prime DirectivesRoboCop: Prime Directives is a TV miniseries released in 2001. It is based on the 1987 cyberpunk/science fiction film RoboCop directed by Paul Verhoeven. The series consisted of four feature length movies: Dark Justice, Meltdown, Resurrection, and Crash and Burn...
(2000) - A four-part television mini-series, continuing the storyline from the film series; producers used footage from the original RobocopRoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
(1987) film.
Animated
- RoboCop: The Animated SeriesRoboCop: The Animated SeriesRoboCop: The Animated Series is an animated series produced in the 1980s by Marvel Productions, and is based on the character and events of the movie RoboCop....
(1988) - RoboCop: Alpha CommandoRoboCop: Alpha CommandoRoboCop: Alpha Commando was a short lived animated series based on the Orion Pictures film RoboCop and the series/films that followed in the 1980s-1990s. It was the second animated version of the character, following on from RoboCop: The Animated Series. The series premiered on September 7, 1998,...
(1998-1999)
Inspired by RoboCop
In 1989, Toei CompanyToei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
of Japan created a series similar to, and based on, RoboCop, called Kidou Keiji Jiban
Kidou Keiji Jiban
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series; part of the Metal Hero Series produced by Toei, aired by TV Asahi in Japan from January 30, 1989 to January 29, 1990 with 52 episodes and a feature movie aired on July 17, 1989....
(Mobile Detective Jiban), part of the Metal Hero TV series franchise. They did the same in 1993 with Tokusou Robo Janperson
Tokusou Robo Janperson
was the 1993 installment in Toei Company Limited's Metal Hero Series. The series revolved around Janperson, a robotic detective who patrolled the streets of Tokyo and fought against three different underworld organizations who used super technology to subjugate the masses...
(Special Investigator Robot Janperson). The former's similarity was in concept (a police officer revived as a cyborg, but specifically to fight a mutant criminal element); the latter's was in appearance (Janperson's head design greatly resembled RoboCop's, yet was otherwise closer to 1973's Robotto Keiji
Robotto Keiji
is a tokusatsu superhero TV series. Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, the series was produced by Toei Company Ltd., and broadcast on Fuji TV from April 5 to September 27, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes....
(Robot Detective)).
Video games
Various licensed video games for various arcade and home console systems were released- RoboCop (1988–1989)
- RoboCop 2 (1990–1991)
- RoboCop 3 (1993)
- RoboCop 3D (1993)
- RoboCop versus The TerminatorRobocop versus The TerminatorRoboCop Versus The Terminator is a video game released for a number of platforms and is based on the RoboCop and Terminator franchises....
(1993–1994) - RoboCop (2003)
In 1990, Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
released a pinball machine based on the film.
Comic books
Various publishers have released RoboCop comic books:- RoboCop (Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, 1990–1992) - 23 issues, plus adaptations of the first two movies. - RoboCop versus The Terminator (Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, 1992) which was also a video gameRobocop versus The TerminatorRoboCop Versus The Terminator is a video game released for a number of platforms and is based on the RoboCop and Terminator franchises....
and almost a movie. - RoboCop (Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, 1992-?) - RoboCop (Avatar PressAvatar PressAvatar Press is an independent American publisher of comic books, founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois.Avatar initially published only mini-series; however, they have since begun to branch out...
, 2003–2006) - 9 issues.
Theme park ride
- RoboCop: The Ride – SimEx-iWerks (formerly iWerks Entertainment) opened RoboCop: The Ride around the world at its various iWerks Motion Simulator Theaters, amusement parks, and casinos in the winter of 1995. The "Turbo Ride," as it was dubbed, was a "ride simulation" which could accommodate between 20-30 riders depending on the size of the theater where synchronized hydraulically-activated seats with an over-sized screen displaying the projection, putting the audience right in the middle of the movie action. The ride focused on you partnering with RoboCop in where you and Robo would ride souped-up police motorcycles on a mission to save the mayor of Detroit from the clutches of the vicious Cyberpunk ROM and his gang of villains. In the latter part of the ride the bike would then convert into hover mode where you and Robo would fly through the skyline of New Detroit using rockets that jettisoned from the back sides of the motorcycle. Though not as impressive or technical-savvy as other iWerks attractions at the time, due to the enduring popularity of the character the ride was very popular amongst children and teenagers and especially in foreign markets outside of North America. The ride was a mixture of motion picture film and computer animation which lasted approximately 4:00 minutes, the cost in the United States was $5.00 USD to ride at pay-per-ride theaters. The ride was removed from the iWerks theaters in the North American market in 1998.
Other
- Montreal hard rock band PriestessPriestess (band)Priestess is a Canadian stoner rock band formed in 2003 by Mikey Heppner , Mike Dyball , Vince Nudo , and Dan Watchorn .-Biography:...
' song from their 2009 album Prior to the FirePrior to the Fire-Lyrical content:Mikey Heppner stated that the band decided to integrate more progressive rock influences into their songwriting, while the lyrical focus was more on "things [they] like," such as favorite movies...
, "Murphy's Law," was written about the movie RoboCop, which is singer Mikey Hepner's favorite movie. - RoboCop is the name of a song by Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
- Thrash Metal band Gama BombGama Bomb-Beginnings: 2002-2005:Gama Bomb formed in Newry 2002 and soon built up a loyal following in their native Ireland and the UK, which they consolidated with a rigorous touring schedule and frequent forays into self-released recording. The band first gained attention with their demo The Survival...
have a song entitled OCP, which features lyrics composed entirely of quotes from the first film. - Massachusetts-based Thrash Metal group Lich King's album World Gone Dead features a track entitled ED-209, which includes dialogue from the first film.
External links
- RoboCop Wiki at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...